The Survey of Salmonella Infection in Pet Reptiles in Tehran and the Associated Risk Factors in Their Owners

Keeping various species of reptiles as pets has become popular in Iran alongside other parts of the world. On the other hand, Salmonellosis is one of the most important zoonotic diseases and reptiles have been known as reservoirs of Salmonella. Therefore, this study was designed to assess Salmonella infection in reptile pets of Tehran. Fecal samples were collected and cultured for Salmonella isolation from 270 reptiles referred to the specialized veterinary clinics in Tehran. Statistical analysis was conducted on the data. Salmonella was cultivated from 142 samples (52.6%). Salmonella isolates belonged to a variety of serogroups; however, more than half of them belonged to serogroups B and C. Most tested reptiles were healthy and most owners were unaware of the risk of Salmonella. Possible contact of these animals with immune-compromised people was recorded in many cases. The results of this study revealed that considering the fact that reptile pets are becoming more popular in Iran, educating reptile owners who are mostly unaware of the reptile’s safe keeping methods is a necessity. Finally, more studies are suggested to further investigate the role of reptiles in the epidemiology of human salmonellosis in Iran.